THE PLASTIC

MENACE
HOW DOES IT AFFECT US, WHY SHOULD WE CARE

When plastic breaks down in the ocean, it doesn’t

break down completely – it just gets smaller and
ends up being swallowed by fish and other marine
animals and birds. The tiny particles of plastic
absorb toxic industrial chemicals which, when
eaten by fish, are absorbed into their tissues and are
eventually eaten by humans.

The average person eats

70,000 microplastics each
year.
WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO ON VACATION WHEN WE NEED A
BREAK

73% of beach litter worldwide is plastic

- bottles, bottle caps, food wrappers, grocery

bags, and polystyrene containers.
HURTING THE ECOLOGY EVENTUALLY HURTS US

Ingestion of plastic kills an estimated 1 million

marine birds and 100,000 marine animals each
year.

700 species of marine life are facing extinction

Green turtles in the eastern Mediterranean are more likely

to swallow plastic that resembles their natural diet
of sea grass
WHAT CAN YOU DO

•Stop using plastic bags.

•Stop buying plastic water bottles.
•Stop using plastic straws.
•Stop using plastic takeout containers, cutlery and
cups.
•Stop using all single-use plastics.
•Talk with five businesses about how they are
reducing plastics.
HERE IN BOISE
•Sort your trash and recyclables – use the orange bag

• Sign-up for the plastics challenge -

https://www.cityofboise.org/plastics-challenge

• Activism
Idaho is one of 10 states with laws preempting local
governments from regulating plastic bags.